New

Bio for Rick Hanson

I have been a huge fan of Rick Hanson since reading his fantastic book, Buddha’s Brain several years ago. In it he presents the central ideas of Buddhist practice through the lens of neuroscience; showing how the Buddha’s insights map onto how the brain evolved, as well as how meditation addresses the ubiquitous suffering that is a result of how our brains try to manage our innate instinctive and emotional conflicts, compulsions and over-reactions.

His work for me represents an unparalleled mapping of the intersections between science, intentional practice, and psychology that this website is dedicated to championing. This is so much the case for me, that I use Buddha’s Brain as a required text in my Awakened Heart, Embodied Mind yoga teacher training —the modules of which I am considering perhaps sharing here at FreedomBecomesYou in some kind of book club form..

Rick is a wonderful teacher and public speaker, whose ability to communicate complex ideas and psychological insights in a very accessible, warm and non-threatening, compassionate way has always impressed me. When I had the honor of briefly sharing a stage with him at UCLA, guiding a group of his workshop attendees into mindful movement anchored in the neuroscience concepts they had been learning, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting him and talking shop over lunch.

Our interview, which I will post November 1, really showed me the intellectual depth and fluidity of mind behind the more modulated and heart-centered public presence Rick puts across —it is a fascinating and stimulating ride.

Here is Rick’s bio:

I am a psychologist and have written and taught about the essential inner skills of personal well-being, psychological growth, and contemplative practice – as well as about relationships, family life, and raising children.

I grew up in a loving and stable family, mainly in the suburbs of Los Angeles; my mother was a homemaker and my father was a zoologist. A shy and bookish kid who loved the outdoors, I entered UCLA at 16 and graduated summa cum laude in 1974 (and was honored to be one of four “outstanding seniors” chosen by the UCLA Alumni Association). Over the next several years, I founded a successful seminar company, worked for a mathematician doing probabilistic risk analyses for things like the odds of a nuclear power plant melting down, and did management consulting. After fulfilling the course requirements for a Masters in developmental psychology at San Francisco State University, I received a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the Wright Institute in 1991, with a dissertation titled, “Gratifying control: Mothers offering alternatives to toddlers.”

My clinical practice includes adults, couples, families, and children, as well as psychological assessments of children and adults related to temperament, school performance, and educational and vocational planning. I have worked as a school psychologist for several independent schools, and have given many talks to meetings of parents or child development specialists. For many years, I served on the Board of FamilyWorks, a family resource agency in Marin County, California, and chaired it for two years. I am a former Trustee of Saybrook University.

When my wife, Jan, and I had the first of our two children, we were delighted by what has continued to be the most fulfilling experience of our lives. But we were also startled – to put it mildly (stunned is more like it) – by the stress and depletion of parenthood, especially when the so-called “village it takes to raise a child” is more like a ghost town these days. In particular, I was struck by the effects on mothers – especially the more vulnerable ones – who (unless they adopt) ride the physiological roller-coaster of pregnancy and childbirth, and often breastfeeding and weaning, and who also typically handle most of the stressful aspects of making a family. While there are many books about childrearing – certainly a vital subject – there is almost nothing about how to actually address the impacts of making a family on mothers, fathers, and couples. So, with Jan – who is an acupuncturist specializing in clinical nutrition – and Ricki Pollycove, M.D., an OB-GYN, I wrote Mother Nurture: A Mother’s Guide to Health in Body, Mind, and Intimate Relationships (Penguin, 2002), which shows how to support the long-term health, well-being, and intimate partnership of mothers. Written for the general public, that book is solidly referenced, and was endorsed by Christiane Northrup, M.D., among others. Many related articles and other resources can be found at www.NurtureMom.com.

In 2011, I wrote Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time, which presents 52 powerful yet down-to-earth ways (practices) to build up a “buddha brain” for more peace of mind in stressful times, greater inner strength and confidence, and an unshakeable sense of contentment and worth. The practices are grounded in modern neuroscience, positive psychology, my background in the very real world of business and raising a family.

I began meditating in 1974 and have studied and practiced in several traditions. At the end of 2008, I completed a nine-year term on the Board of Spirit Rock Meditation Center. A graduate of the Community Dharma Leader training program, I lead a weekly meditation group in San Rafael, California, and I’ve taught at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, New York Insight, the Sati Center, and other meditation centers.

My personal interests include rock-climbing, sailing novels, travel – I lived one year in Finland and one in Germany – and having fun with my family and friends.

About Me

Hi, I am Julian Walker.
Welcome to FreedomBecomesYou, where I share interviews, articles and courses that explore the growing edges of human potential and possibility as it relates to science, psychology and mind-body practices.